Artist Barry Treu sees lines and shapes and their relationship to each other in everyday common objects that happen to be arranged by chance. It is these “found” visual compositions that are the inspiration for his abstract acrylic paintings.

Friday, April 5, “Abstractions — observed, recorded and found,” an exhibition of recent paintings by Barry Treu, opens in the Kortman Gallery in downtown Rockford at 107 N. Main St.

“My artwork often begins with photographing ‘found’ compositions, such as chance arrangements of theater props, dismantled and placed against a wall with no regard for color, shape or design,” said Treu. “Once photographed, they are printed out, drawn and transferred to canvas with charcoal. From there, my work evolves through the layering of texture and color with paint.”

According to Kortman Gallery Director Doc Slafkosky, Treu’s art is a “breath of fresh air.”

“It is refreshing to see work that is contemporary and elegant,” says Slafkosky. “Barry is a serious painter whose timeless works can be mesmerizing and visually challenging, yet would fit in any environment.”

Barry Treu recently returned to his Midwest roots by accepting the position of director of education at the Freeport Art Museum in Freeport, Ill. He received his master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Treu has taught university-level classes in drawing, painting, sculpture and computer arts, worked as a sculptor in a mint, and has thoroughly enjoyed the museum education field for the past seven years.

The opening receptions for “Abstractions — observed, recorded and found,” paintings by Barry Treu will be Friday, April 5, from 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, April 6, from 3 to 9 p.m. The opening coincides with First Fridays Downtown and the Rockford ArtScene weekend. The art will be on display through May 18. The gallery is upstairs at J.R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 N. Main St.